Rookie Savoie’s surge earns him spot alongside McDavid on Oilers’ top line

San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (33) plays the puck as Edmonton Oilers' Matt Savoie (22) closes in during second period NHL action, in Edmonton on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Overlooked amid the Edmonton Oilers’ erratic season has been the steady, albeit unspectacular, performance of rookie forward Matt Savoie.

The 22-year-old native of St. Albert, a bedroom community abutting Edmonton’s northwest, has been moved around various lines as head coach Kris Knoblauch searches for consistent and effective combinations. Recently, however, the speedy, sometimes abrasive Savoie has found a fit on the top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.

McDavid, whose pace can be a challenge for linemates, said he has been impressed by the youngster.

“I just noticed the energy he’s playing with, lots of jump, lots of juice, keeping lots of pucks alive, getting in on the forecheck and retrieving pucks. It’s been impressive,” McDavid said. “The little things he does so well, like a dog on a bone. Super, super skilled.”

After a modest start, Savoie has produced nine points in his last 11 games, giving him 11 goals and 28 points in 69 games.

He scored the game-winning goal against the Nashville Predators on Sunday to open the Oilers’ four-game homestand, and his crease-side deflection set up Hyman’s clincher in Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks.

“He’s a guy who’s got an unbelievable motor — he just goes, goes, goes,” Hyman said of the Buffalo Sabres’ ninth overall pick in 2022. “He skates as well as anyone in the league and can make plays. He’s going to play in the top six for a long, long time. Just a phenomenal player.”

Hyman added that Savoie, in his first NHL season, will only improve.

“I think people forget how young he is. Everyone expects a first-round draft pick to come in and just light it up right away. It takes time in this league, time to understand how to play and grow. I was 24 when I came into the league, and it took me years to figure it out.”

Although his offensive and plus-minus numbers have been steady all season, Savoie said his overall game wasn’t early on.

“In the first half, there were stretches where a couple of good games, a couple bad games, get a bunch of looks and then go cold for a bit,” he said. “But I feel like since the (Olympic) break, or the Christmas break, I feel I’ve been more consistent game by game and just playing a better all-around game.”

The 5-10, 180-pound winger said the game has “really slowed down” for him since the three-week Olympic break.

“I’m feeling more comfortable with the puck, my legs are feeling really good. I was able to reset and kind of take a step away to assess how my first two-thirds of the season went. I was happy with it, but I knew there were some things I had to address.”

Then he had to adjust to the role of being, at least temporarily, McDavid’s winger.

“It can be tough playing with a guy like that — the speed he plays at and some of the plays he makes — but I’m definitely getting more used to it and accustomed to how quickly the passes come,” Savoie said.

“Sometimes you’re not expecting it, but that’s part of growing into being one of his linemates — always being ready for that play and being in a scoring position.

“And the plays he’s able to make, not many guys can. So it’s been a lot of fun. He drives a lot of the play, so it’s fun to play with him.”

That adjustment hasn’t gone unnoticed by teammates, including veteran Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has often played alongside McDavid.

“I think the offensive side of things has clicked into place a little bit,” Nugent-Hopkins said of Savoie. “But I think his mindset, the way he has played all season, hasn’t changed.

“He’s such a dynamic young player. He really thinks the game well. That’s why you can put him out there as a young kid on the penalty kill and trust him. Obviously, a great skill set, too, but he goes into those hard areas and plays with confidence. He’s been great for us all season, so it’s nice to see it starting to reward him.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2026.

John Korobanik, The Canadian Press